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Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones

These scones are soft inside with lightly crisp edges, sweet-tart cranberries, and a sunny pop of orange. The sour cream keeps them tender and flavorful, perfect for any brunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest, packed
Wet Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed Keep cold until ready to use.
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins and Topping
  • 1 to 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped Can use frozen cranberries.
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling
Optional Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 pinch orange zest

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
  3. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like uneven pebbles.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, and vanilla.
Combining
  1. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients with a fork until it starts to clump.
  2. Fold in the chopped cranberries and adjust with flour or sour cream as needed.
Shaping and Baking
  1. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8 inch disk, about an inch thick.
  2. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to the baking sheet, leaving space between pieces.
  3. Brush the tops with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden on top and edges are set.
  5. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool further.
Optional Glaze
  1. Mix the powdered sugar with fresh orange juice and zest, then drizzle over warm scones.

Notes

Keep butter cold for flaky scones. Don’t overmix the dough. Optional: Chill cut scones for better shape. Sugar on top enhances texture.